


Always

by Emersis



Series: Wholesome week 2 [3]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF, mcyt
Genre: Betrayal, Gen, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, No shipping!, Unedited unbetaed we die like revolutionaries, Wholesome Week (Video Blogging RPF), election, these boys need them after what they're put through, wholesome week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:34:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26643802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emersis/pseuds/Emersis
Summary: Tubbo hadn't spoken to him since the night of the election. Even when he came to Wilbur to say he was going to be their inside man, even when he came daily to report his findings and the going-ons of Manburg, he had kept his distance from Tommy. Eyes averted, never coming close, only speaking quickly to Wilbur before vanishing back to his new job.Wholesome week!
Relationships: Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit
Series: Wholesome week 2 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1937062
Comments: 5
Kudos: 354





	Always

**Author's Note:**

> I'm late and also very tired, but here's wholesome week day 5: Fantasy  
> Also kinda a successor to Cold in my mind but you don't have to read that one first lol

_"Tommy"_

He nearly jumps in shock as Tubbo's voice whispers past his ears. It takes him a moment to compose himself, and he's thankful neither Wilbur or Techno were around to see it. He's just about to reply when-

_"Please come"_

And a set of coordinates settle in his mind as if he had always known them. Instinctive worry clenches at his chest, worry for his best friend. He raises his hand to his mouth and whispers, _"Why? What's up?"_ and trusts the wind to take his message.

A minute goes by without an answer, then two, and Tommy is rushing to find their newly assembled med-pack as his heart clenches painfully in his chest.

Tubbo hadn't spoken to him since the night of the election. Even when he came to Wilbur to say he was going to be their inside man, even when he came daily to report his findings and the going-ons of Manburg, he had kept his distance from Tommy. Eyes averted, never coming close, only speaking quickly to Wilbur before vanishing back to his new job.

It hurt, it really did. Tubbo was his best friend. The pain of thinking he was a betrayer was awful, but this silence between them after Tubbo had shown himself to still be on his side was just as bad.

So why now?

Why now if it wasn't an emergency and Tommy was the only one Tubbo could call?

He debates telling Wilbur for only a moment before he decides it to be too risky. He can practically hear Wilbur rebuking him, saying that even if they were working together Tubbo still wasn't to be trusted. He hears both Wilbur and his own common sense (or maybe it was paranoia?) saying that it could be a trap. A trick to lure Tommy out into the open, away from the skilled protective blade of Techno and the quick thinking of Wilbur.

_(Or maybe, the side of him trusts Tubbo unconditionally interjects, maybe Schlatt has found out. Maybe he needs help. Maybe he's injured. Maybe you're the only one that can save him right now.)_

Tommy takes as much of Wilbur's diamond armor as he can find anyway, hesitantly pulls the strongest sword he has out of his ender chest. Just in case. He tries not to think too much about how it's a 'just in case' of both situations, whether he was fighting against Tubbo or for him.

He vaults onto Fundy's undead horse and turns it in the direction of the coordinates, and he is beyond thankful that he'd stolen it. Its speed and unending energy made it an excellent way to get around quickly if, say, your friend may be on the brink of death.

When he draws close to the coordinates he slows the horse and quietly lowers himself to the ground. Through the trees ahead he spots a vast clearing of tall, waving grass, and knows that bringing the horse any closer would be asking to be spotted, so he tethers it quickly before slinking forward and pushing his way into the grass, half crouched in an attempt to hide himself better.

He makes it all of 20 steps in before laughter brings him to a halt. It's soft and happy, and its such a contrast to the only laughter he had planned for in this trip, that being the maniacal laughter of Schlatt as he more than likely ordered Tommy's death, that he doesn't even process that he hadn't heard him laugh like that in ages. It's such a soothing and familiar sound that he finds his caution falling away as he pushes more rapidly towards its source, and finds Tubbo laying on his back in a flattened patch of the grass. His hand is held aloft above him, and a grin is plastered on his face. He is wholly encaptured in observing a bumble bee that has settled on his outstretched pointer finger, and Tommy receives a overdue reminder of just how happy a person was capable of looking.

His caution finds him once again, but all it takes is him glancing around the field to set himself at ease again. The grass glimmers in greens and golds under a beaming sun in a blue sky with just the right amount of clouds. The trees surrounding the field are fluffy and friendly shapes, and not even the darkness between them seems threatening. It feels perfect, almost too perfect, and as he glances back to his best friend's relaxed form he could almost convince himself he was in some kind of fantasy world, far from the wars and blood and betrayal.

But the armor is heavy, and the sword feels cold across his back. The med-pack he thought he'd have to use hangs at his side. So he steps forward until Tubbo notices him and springs up. He scans the clearing again, half expecting the members on Manburg to suddenly appear and ruin the image, half expecting Tubbo to pull a weapon and ruin the peaceful serenity himself.

What he does not expect, however, is Tubbo grinning a wide, happy smile Tommy hadn't seen on him since before the war. He does not expect Tubbo to approach and hug him tightly. He does not expect the mumble of "Isn't it beautiful?"

He doesn't expect any of those things, but they're what he gets and it confuses him greatly.

"Tubbo what the fuck man." He spits, and he feels a slight, nervous shift from Tubbo.

"I thought maybe you'd like to see? Like how we had the field before?"

And Tommy can feel that there's more to the story, so he presses with narrowed eyes and suspicion, pushing Tubbo away to hold him at arms length.

"Yes, yes. But _why,_ Tubbo. Why bring me here?"

And the joyful smile dies a bit, it becomes something a bit more sad, a bit more hurt. Tubbo shifts back further from Tommy and his body language goes from generally positive to slightly hurt and slightly protective, and the shift stings Tommy's heart. He tries and only partially succeeds in push down the ache of seeing Tubbo feel like he had to protect himself around him.

"I thought-" Tubbo starts, and his voice is quiet and pained, a bitter contrast to a moment ago, "I thought we could be friends again."

And suddenly things click into place.

The quiet behavior and the avoiding him, things that had made him suspicious of Tubbo only hours ago, are put into the perspective of how Tubbo acted after Tommy gave up his disks, how Tubbo acted after Eret betrayed them, how Tubbo always acts when he feels like he hasn't done enough, hasn't given enough of himself, when he feels like he's messed something up.

It feels awful to realize that between his own issues and his distrust that he had failed to look out for the things he had learned to see, the little signs and tells he usually watched for so he could diffuse Tubbo's thoughts before they got too deep, too serious. It feels awful to realize how awful he's let his best friend feel.

He reaches out for Tubbo's withdrawn form and drags him back into the hug he had started. There are a few long moments like that while he waits for the break he knows is coming. He keeps him close, head tucked under his chin, until he feels Tubbo shake against him and hears his breathing quiver though his throat. He keeps him close while it passes, even as Tubbo's arms wrap around him again uncomfortably tight.

He only relinquishes his grip when Tubbo loosens his own, and he lets Tubbo decide from there when he's ready to step away. When he does, he wears a small smile. To the outside viewer, it doesn't look as happy as the one Tubbo wore before, but Tommy knows it's a little truer. A little more genuine to the people they are now.

"We always have been and always will be Tubbo. It's you and me."

**Author's Note:**

> A line I wanted to put in but couldn't figure out where to put it:
> 
> 'Tommy was glad he came alone. He had been correct, Tubbo was injured, Tommy was the only one who could save him. It just happened to be for different reasons than he was expecting.'


End file.
